Improving Rural and Regional Student Experiences

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47381/aijre.v35i2.832

Keywords:

student experience, student voice, rurality

Abstract

In this editorial for the second issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, we explore the challenges and opportunities for researching and reporting student experience in rural and regional education. The articles in this issue illustrate how the voices of students can be and are represented through research. The articles from rural and regional contexts in China, Sweden and Australia offer insights into student experiences and what can be done to improve those experiences across a range of sectors. We also note that the influence of rurality on experiences is sometimes assumed but not explicitly discussed. In summary, the articles in this issue provide useful illustrations of how student voice and experiences can be used to powerfully reflect and improve the value of programs, pedagogical approaches, curriculum offerings and educational opportunities.

Author Biographies

John Guenther, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

John is the Research Leader Education and Training, with Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, based in Darwin, Northern Territory. Over the last 20 years John has conducted research and evaluation projects which have focused on remote contexts, covering all states and territories of Australia. While his work has focused mainly on learning, the intersections between training and education with health, wellbeing, traditional knowledge systems, economic, natural resource management, mining and a range of social issues, feature in his work.
John's research expertise extends from an array of practical qualitative and quantitative methodologies for research and evaluation, through to a range of theoretical and philosophical perspectives. He is interested in the translation of empirical evidence to policy and practice settings. He has a growing publishing track record and regularly contributes to conferences and researcher forums to share his knowledge. 
John supervises and mentors several higher degree research students across Australia and supports networks and collaborations in several universities across Australia.

Bronwyn Relf, University of Newcastle

Dr Bronwyn Relf is employed at The University of Newcastle and has been responsible for coordinating and teaching the 'Science for Nursing and Midwifery' courses in the Open Foundation Enabling program since 2013. Bronwyn has over 30 years of higher education teaching experience. Her research interests include curriculum design and equity in access to higher education for mature aged students in regional and remote areas.  She has led an Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching grant investigating curriculum design principles in Enabling programs and a Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program grant investigating the role of tertiary preparation programs in increasing access to university for mature aged students in regional and remote areas. Prior to her employment at The University of Newcastle, Bronwyn worked in research at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Western Sydney University, The University of Sydney and CSIRO and taught at Western Sydney University.

 

AIJRE 35(2) Cover Page

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Published

29-07-2025

How to Cite

Guenther, J., & Relf, B. (2025). Improving Rural and Regional Student Experiences. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 35(2), i-ix. https://doi.org/10.47381/aijre.v35i2.832

Issue

Vol. 35 No. 2 (2025): Improving Rural and Regional Student Experiences

Section

EDITORIAL

License

Copyright (c) 2025 John Guenther, Bronwyn Relf

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors contributing to The Australian and Internation Journal of Rural Education agree to publish their articles under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license, allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, for any purpose, even commercially, under the condition that appropriate credit is given, that a link to the license is provided, and that you indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to The Australian and Internation Journal of Rural Education.

Manuscripts submitted for publication should not have been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. It is the responsibility of authors to secure release of any copyright materials included in their manuscripts, and to provide written evidence of this to the editors. 

Papers are accepted on the understanding that they are subject to editorial revision. The Editorial Committee cannot guarantee that all contributions will be published nor give definite dates of publication. However, contributors will be advised if their papers are not accepted or if there will be a long publication delay.

 

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